Oh that that was so, Susan. But this is more about the environment itself. Great swaths of once pristine jungle, including 10 million trees, according to The Guardian, have been demolished already. Cenotes and underground rivers are at risk and have already been compromised. These are an important part of Maya water supply, to this day, in a parched land w/ few overground rivers. If you have a chance to read the entire article, it's about 4 min. and gives overview of the damages done, to the second largest rainforest in the Americas, after the Amazon, the Riviera Maya (believe it or not).
Yes, it's truly heart-breaking. The jungle should have been protected. Honestly, I oversaw enough construction in Mexico to trust anyone to do the "right thing."
So true. I write about it in my memoir, Where the Sky is Born. One woman from our town 'saved' the second largest reef in the world, formerly the Palancar Reef, now Great MesoAmerican Reef, from being ravaged, stepped on, over-fished (well--the fish are kinda gone now) but she did it, with a group called Lu'um Knaab. But so much ravaging goes on, and on. Poor Tulum. It's just a shadow of its former (pristine) self.
Random memory. When we were constructing our house in Mexico, we gave the ingeniero very clear blueprints, which called for a window in the kitchen but when I went to check on it, there was no window. I called the ingeniero's attention to it. He said yes, I saw that, but I figured you already had a door so you didn't need another window. And then he charged me to take out the wall and put in the window. Mexico in a nutshell.
@jeanine kitchel Thanks for keeping us up to date on this project. For anyone who has been touched by this land of underground rivers and ancient civilizations, anyone who has had the privilege of swimming in some of its pristine cenotes, this is a highly controversial and all-too-likely heartbreaking project.
Thanks Joyce. I know you know the peninsula and it’s phenomenal beauty and that you saw it long ago too. It’s truly a sad situation. We’ll see what happens next…
It’s sad to read about natural wonders being negatively affected by a desire for more tourism and money. Hopefully there will be a way to maintain those ecosystems. Thank you for sharing this, Jeanine!
Thanks Daniel. Unfortunately, those ecosystems are now well on their way to ruin. What took millions of years to create has been decimated in a heartbeat. The limestone shelf on which the Yucatán Peninsula sits is a fragile thing. Its loss would be synonymous with cutting down an old-growth redwood tree, and hoping it could somehow, soon come back. It was bad seeing the mangroves being filled in to build hotels, and seeing lack of proper sanitation infrastructure so that hotels could flush right into the ocean, killing fish, and fishing and parts of the reef. This is the topper, though, imho.
That’s absolutely tragic. You’re doing the right thing and making what’s happening openly known. I’ve learned so much about Mexico from your articles. Thank you!
You're very welcome. When you live some place you learn all the nitty gritty—if you want to. As a journalist I'm always curious about what's happening. Of course that's not everyone's bag and I get that. Having the bookstore for so many years, (it's in new hands now) everyone came into the shop to talk. Thanks for the encouragement.
This brings to mind the powerful Cree prophecy: "When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money."
It's excruciatingly painful to read about precious environmental treasures like these being destroyed for profit. Will this never end?
My heart began to pound as I read this and associated this awful environmental travesty with so many others the world over. Each one is worthy of attention and oversight and altogether it is an overwhelming thought. Holding my breath about this particular project. Thank you Jeanine for your great reporting and for keeping eyes on this.
Thank you so much Lucinda, for your comments. I hadn’t planned on posting yesterday but then saw what had transpired and hopped to. I have an inkling of how things may pan out but am trying to remain positive. And now today I get to read your new post. Yesterday was a time crunch.
An example of AMLO's unilateral and authoritarian tendencies at their worst. I wonder how Sheinbaum, as an environmental scientist, will square this policy disaster with her environmental platform (assuming she is Mexico's next president, which seems all but certain).
Thank you for highlighting this - a fine piece that hopefully will be shared endlessly. When I was last there it was clear how upset the locals were about this train and all I could see was how truly unnecessary it is. This kind of ecological upheaval is never beneficial and the thought of compromising the cenotes is unacceptable, short sighted and a tragedy. I look forward to catching up on your posts and look forward to any updates you are willing to share.
Thanks so much Dina. Yes, it is a sad state indeed. The earlier post, Jan 5, I wrote about it gives all the info from environmentalists, geologists, locals, even the U.N., complaining about the cavalier attitude of the govt in mercilessly wracking this ancient environment.
Well, they're seriously up for grabs, along w/ so many parts of the Peninsula's former green spaces. Not to mention Palenque, further south, one of the most breathtaking pyramids and jungled areas. My earlier post on Maya Train Debut Jan 5 goes into the whole sad story. Environmentalists, geologists, locals, news media, even the U.N. have clocked in--newspapers from The New Delhi Times, Japan Times to The South China Post. Now it's pretty much proof in the pudding. Check out Jan 5 post. It tells all.
So we have to be careful because AMLO has already shown before that what the laws say does not care about him. That's what he said after illegally giving out the NYT journalist's phone number. He claimed that his authority was above the law.
Well, it has to do with the NYT report (February 22) on the financing of drug traffickers to AMLO's campaign in 2018. The president responded on Thursday the 22nd by calling the NYT a "filthy pamphlet" and revealed the personal telephone number of the journalist Natalie Kitroeff, which constitutes a violation of data privacy laws in Mexico. When questioned on Friday the 25th by a Univision journalist about this violation of the law, AMLO responded that his political and moral authority was above the law.
Oh man. The above the law thing, in so many countries right now, is beginning to get old. Thanks for that. After reading your first comment I read your last post. In some way it seems to avoid total chaos (and I’m not using that word lightly) I think they gotta ‘pay to play’ sorry to say. It’s a travesty; it’s soo complicated as you of all people so well know. And dangerous. Even in 2000when everyone was so happy with the outcome, truth came out and it wasn’t pretty.
It's so disheartening to read this. I have not heard about the train before, nor about the destruction of millions of trees. Do the Mayan people have any power at all to stop even more destruction? And can Obredor simply disregard the judge's decision?
Thanks for the comment, Clarice. Re power, very little. They were marginalized from the moment the Spanish stepped foot on the Yucatán Peninsula, 1527. An indentured servitude became their way of life, at best. For a brief moment, progressive governor of the Yucatán, Felipe Carrillo Puerto (read my Feb 9 post about him and Alma Reed) assisted in returning their stolen lands, but he was assassinated. But I digress. In my Jan. 5 post Maya Train Debut, link here, goes into depth on how much pushback there was to it. Even from the U.N. Re overturning a judge's decision, only time will tell. Sad indeed. https://mexicosoul.substack.com/p/mexicos-maya-train-makes-debut-on
Sometimes the world's archeological treasures just deserve to be left in peace.
Oh that that was so, Susan. But this is more about the environment itself. Great swaths of once pristine jungle, including 10 million trees, according to The Guardian, have been demolished already. Cenotes and underground rivers are at risk and have already been compromised. These are an important part of Maya water supply, to this day, in a parched land w/ few overground rivers. If you have a chance to read the entire article, it's about 4 min. and gives overview of the damages done, to the second largest rainforest in the Americas, after the Amazon, the Riviera Maya (believe it or not).
Yes, it's truly heart-breaking. The jungle should have been protected. Honestly, I oversaw enough construction in Mexico to trust anyone to do the "right thing."
So true. I write about it in my memoir, Where the Sky is Born. One woman from our town 'saved' the second largest reef in the world, formerly the Palancar Reef, now Great MesoAmerican Reef, from being ravaged, stepped on, over-fished (well--the fish are kinda gone now) but she did it, with a group called Lu'um Knaab. But so much ravaging goes on, and on. Poor Tulum. It's just a shadow of its former (pristine) self.
Random memory. When we were constructing our house in Mexico, we gave the ingeniero very clear blueprints, which called for a window in the kitchen but when I went to check on it, there was no window. I called the ingeniero's attention to it. He said yes, I saw that, but I figured you already had a door so you didn't need another window. And then he charged me to take out the wall and put in the window. Mexico in a nutshell.
It's a different world. Adjusting to the moving target or rules and regulations -- tricky. (And often costly).
What a sin and a shame to risk losing this pristine beauty for money and profit - or for any reason.
Agreed. I wrote about this in early January. The landscape will be forever changed.
@jeanine kitchel Thanks for keeping us up to date on this project. For anyone who has been touched by this land of underground rivers and ancient civilizations, anyone who has had the privilege of swimming in some of its pristine cenotes, this is a highly controversial and all-too-likely heartbreaking project.
Thanks Joyce. I know you know the peninsula and it’s phenomenal beauty and that you saw it long ago too. It’s truly a sad situation. We’ll see what happens next…
Not only is this an environmental issue but what about safety? Could the weight of the train cause caves to collapse?
That's what ecologists are worried about. The limestone shelves are quite fragile.
It’s sad to read about natural wonders being negatively affected by a desire for more tourism and money. Hopefully there will be a way to maintain those ecosystems. Thank you for sharing this, Jeanine!
Thanks Daniel. Unfortunately, those ecosystems are now well on their way to ruin. What took millions of years to create has been decimated in a heartbeat. The limestone shelf on which the Yucatán Peninsula sits is a fragile thing. Its loss would be synonymous with cutting down an old-growth redwood tree, and hoping it could somehow, soon come back. It was bad seeing the mangroves being filled in to build hotels, and seeing lack of proper sanitation infrastructure so that hotels could flush right into the ocean, killing fish, and fishing and parts of the reef. This is the topper, though, imho.
That’s absolutely tragic. You’re doing the right thing and making what’s happening openly known. I’ve learned so much about Mexico from your articles. Thank you!
You're very welcome. When you live some place you learn all the nitty gritty—if you want to. As a journalist I'm always curious about what's happening. Of course that's not everyone's bag and I get that. Having the bookstore for so many years, (it's in new hands now) everyone came into the shop to talk. Thanks for the encouragement.
This brings to mind the powerful Cree prophecy: "When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money."
It's excruciatingly painful to read about precious environmental treasures like these being destroyed for profit. Will this never end?
What a soulful reminder and quote, Lana. Thank you. So very true.
My heart began to pound as I read this and associated this awful environmental travesty with so many others the world over. Each one is worthy of attention and oversight and altogether it is an overwhelming thought. Holding my breath about this particular project. Thank you Jeanine for your great reporting and for keeping eyes on this.
Thank you so much Lucinda, for your comments. I hadn’t planned on posting yesterday but then saw what had transpired and hopped to. I have an inkling of how things may pan out but am trying to remain positive. And now today I get to read your new post. Yesterday was a time crunch.
An example of AMLO's unilateral and authoritarian tendencies at their worst. I wonder how Sheinbaum, as an environmental scientist, will square this policy disaster with her environmental platform (assuming she is Mexico's next president, which seems all but certain).
I think politicos everywhere ignore a lot of 'stuff.' Survival in their field.
Sadly true
Thank you for highlighting this - a fine piece that hopefully will be shared endlessly. When I was last there it was clear how upset the locals were about this train and all I could see was how truly unnecessary it is. This kind of ecological upheaval is never beneficial and the thought of compromising the cenotes is unacceptable, short sighted and a tragedy. I look forward to catching up on your posts and look forward to any updates you are willing to share.
Thanks so much Dina. Yes, it is a sad state indeed. The earlier post, Jan 5, I wrote about it gives all the info from environmentalists, geologists, locals, even the U.N., complaining about the cavalier attitude of the govt in mercilessly wracking this ancient environment.
Wow! Dived those cenotes 20+ years ago, they are unique and most be protected!
Well, they're seriously up for grabs, along w/ so many parts of the Peninsula's former green spaces. Not to mention Palenque, further south, one of the most breathtaking pyramids and jungled areas. My earlier post on Maya Train Debut Jan 5 goes into the whole sad story. Environmentalists, geologists, locals, news media, even the U.N. have clocked in--newspapers from The New Delhi Times, Japan Times to The South China Post. Now it's pretty much proof in the pudding. Check out Jan 5 post. It tells all.
So we have to be careful because AMLO has already shown before that what the laws say does not care about him. That's what he said after illegally giving out the NYT journalist's phone number. He claimed that his authority was above the law.
I hadn't heard about the journalist's phone #.
Well, it has to do with the NYT report (February 22) on the financing of drug traffickers to AMLO's campaign in 2018. The president responded on Thursday the 22nd by calling the NYT a "filthy pamphlet" and revealed the personal telephone number of the journalist Natalie Kitroeff, which constitutes a violation of data privacy laws in Mexico. When questioned on Friday the 25th by a Univision journalist about this violation of the law, AMLO responded that his political and moral authority was above the law.
Oh man. The above the law thing, in so many countries right now, is beginning to get old. Thanks for that. After reading your first comment I read your last post. In some way it seems to avoid total chaos (and I’m not using that word lightly) I think they gotta ‘pay to play’ sorry to say. It’s a travesty; it’s soo complicated as you of all people so well know. And dangerous. Even in 2000when everyone was so happy with the outcome, truth came out and it wasn’t pretty.
It's so disheartening to read this. I have not heard about the train before, nor about the destruction of millions of trees. Do the Mayan people have any power at all to stop even more destruction? And can Obredor simply disregard the judge's decision?
Thanks for the comment, Clarice. Re power, very little. They were marginalized from the moment the Spanish stepped foot on the Yucatán Peninsula, 1527. An indentured servitude became their way of life, at best. For a brief moment, progressive governor of the Yucatán, Felipe Carrillo Puerto (read my Feb 9 post about him and Alma Reed) assisted in returning their stolen lands, but he was assassinated. But I digress. In my Jan. 5 post Maya Train Debut, link here, goes into depth on how much pushback there was to it. Even from the U.N. Re overturning a judge's decision, only time will tell. Sad indeed. https://mexicosoul.substack.com/p/mexicos-maya-train-makes-debut-on